Pivoting the manufacturing facility to battery autos is a fancy endeavor.
Nissan should develop the ability’s bodily footprint to accommodate the meeting of battery packs and different elements.
“We will drive for more localization to reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain,” Johnson mentioned.
New applied sciences, resembling laser brazing, will probably be launched within the physique store to create components which can be “unique to the styling of our vehicles,” Johnson mentioned. “We’re going to modify our onsite presses for full aluminum capability,” he mentioned.
The meeting line would require modification somewhat than a rip-out.
The heaviest modifications will probably be in trim and chassis, the place Nissan will deploy the simultaneous underbody mounting system to mate the chassis to the battery powertrain.
The new automobile platforms will carry larger automation. Nissan mentioned about 20 % of trim and chassis work on the EV line is automated in contrast with 6 to 10 % on the combustion engine line.
But robots will not come on the expense of people. New positions in battery pack meeting and different manufacturing areas will offset jobs misplaced to automation in trim and chassis.
“We’re just maintaining and upskilling the jobs,” Johnson mentioned. “People may move around, but overall headcount is basically flat.”
Integrating EV manufacturing with out affecting present output will probably be a problem.
“Anytime we bring in new technology, [the] material and process flow is going to be different than before,” Johnson mentioned. “You have to work around current operations and processes to keep the vehicles you’re building today flowing while preparing for the future.”
Johnson mentioned his message to the staff is to prioritize the EV line.
“It’s OK to be a little bit suboptimal in the last months of a particular vehicle or project’s life to [ensure] that we’re fully optimizing for the start of the next,” he mentioned. “You can’t shortchange the future while continuing to work on today.”
Source: www.autonews.com